Of Cat and Boy
by Lady of the Ink
Summary: Van and Merle childhood friendship fic. What if Merle had been put to work in the kitchens upon her arrival in Fanelia? How would Van react when he found her there one night? Chapter Ten Part Two- The conclusion. **Complete**
1. A New Beginning

**Title:** Of Cat and Boy  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** Van & Merle friendship  
**Category:** Drama  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter One**  
_A New Beginning_

* * *

He was big.

That was the first thing Merle noticed about him. Of course, she was small even for someone her age, so everyone seemed large to her. But she was sure normal sized people found him daunting. He was massively tall, and just as wide. The muscles on his arms were almost as big as her entire body!

The second thing she noticed were the scars. Crossing his face in downward slashes, one of the wide cuts went right down the middle of his eye. They were faded and healed, so she knew they had to have happened a long time ago. She winced just thinking about how much it had to have hurt.

But even though those things should have made him menacing, she wasn't scared of him. He had plucked her from the dark, wet place where she'd been sleeping, cold and hungry and alone. A warm blanket had been wrapped around her shivering body, and a cup of something hot and sweet thrust into her hands. When they trembled too much to hold the cup steady, another hand had wrapped around the metal, making the mug seem to shrink in comparison.

As night took firmer hold, a fire was built, and a place was made for her close to it. There were no kind, soothing words; in fact, there were no words at all. Just the silent presence of someone she somehow knew meant her no harm. It was a calming feeling that allowed her to sleep deeply for the first time in a long time.

She was woken before dawn the next morning with a shake on her shoulder. Again, there were no words, just a plate passed to her, filled with nourishing if not extravagant foods. As she ate, shoveling down the meal with a speed that spoke of too many nights left hungry, the man packed up his camp.

A sense of alarm filled her. He would leave now, and she would be just as alone as she'd been the night before. Her throat closed up, and she couldn't force herself to swallow another bite.

Apparently noticing her sudden lack of motion, the man turned to face her. Squinting slightly, he looked her over as she tried not to shake. A long moment passed as they stared at each other. When he spoke, his voice was a deep rumble, as substantial as his stature.

"I am going to Fanelia's castle. If you wish to come along, there may be a place for you there."

Merle just stared at him, trying to understand. This giant of a man had dropped into her life with no warning. The meal and blanket had been a welcome gesture, but one that was not altogether unusual. Once or twice another had taken pity on her and spared a small bit of food or clothing. Of course, they had all been woman, and probably mothers in their own lives, so their kindness was easier to understand.

But this man, a man baring the marks of a warrior, was willing to go a step farther. To give her a chance at something better. A home, maybe. Food in her stomach and a roof over her head. Maybe even . . . a family. Her teeth began to gnaw at her lower lip as she thought it over. The man seemed to understand her need for time, and stood motionless, waiting.

Should she trust him? Did she dare risk it? To go with this stranger, to somewhere new and unknown? Her eyes drifted to the trees around them, the only home she'd known for so long now. What would she be leaving behind, really? Cold, damp dirt for a bed, nights with only the sound of her growling stomach to keep the enveloping silence at bay?

A deep steadying breath filled her lungs as she came to a decision. Raising her eyes to the man, she searched his expression one last time. There was nothing unpleasant there, no hint that he had anything but what he said in mind. Swallowing hard once, she stood.

She would go.

They were getting close to the castle, she knew. The houses were becoming more frequent, and large numbers of people filled the streets, going about their days. She felt a surge of fear at the sheer number of them, so many more than she'd ever seen in one place before. It didn't help that they all seemed to be looking right at her. Trying to calm herself, Merle pressed closer to the man seated behind her on the horse.

There was a vibrating feeling against her back, and she knew that he was chuckling. A frown crossed her face, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't going to chance offending the one person who was slightly familiar and risk being dropped in the middle of the sea of strange faces. Just the thought of having to fend for herself here made her shiver.

Her first look at the castle stopped the breath in her throat. It was larger than anything she'd ever seen before. Massive walls rose towards the sky, windows like black, empty eyes watching over the town. Watching her.

She shivered again.

The next moments passed in a blur as the man led the horse to a stable and dismounted. Gathering the bundle of his belongings, he motioned for her to follow him. Weaving through small groups of people, she could feel them watching her with curious eyes. Thankful that the man's size made him easy to keep an eye on, she kept her gaze focused solely on him, and tried desperately to ignore everyone and everything else.

As she followed him inside a side door of the castle, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim level of light. This hall seemed to be in the servants' section, clean but unembellished by wall hangings of any kind. She looked around as the man spoke to a woman, apparently questioning her about something. There wasn't much to see, really, but she had to do something to keep the nervousness at bay.

"Lord Van needs someone his own age . . ."

The man's words drifted to Merle's ears. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she _did_ have really good hearing. Who was Lord Van? Did he mean her when he said that? Unconsciously, she shifted closer to hear more.

"The Queen has been hard to locate recently. She's spending more time alone." The woman's answer was low pitched but respectful. Her tone suggested those actions were almost to be expected.

"I have to leave by sundown. Is there no way to find her?" The woman held her hands out in a helpless gesture.

"I'm sorry, Sir Balgus."

The man sighed heavily, casting a single, quick glance behind him. "Who's seeing to Lord Van, then?"

"His tutor, Master Josias."

"Bring him here, if you will."The woman nodded, and quickly vanished down the hall.

Shuffling her feet, Merle looked up to find the man, Balgus, apparently, looking at her. Straightening her shoulders, she lifted her chin. There was no way she was going to show him the stark terror that had flooded though her when she realized the meaning of what she'd overheard. He was setting off again tonight, leaving her here in this strange place alone.

"I'll leave word with someone, they'll make sure you're taken care of." His words, though well intentioned, were cold comfort. He was giving her an opportunity she probably wouldn't have gotten on her own, but what if she didn't like it here? Would she be able to find her way through the mobs of people?

Would they even let her go?

Before another word could be spoken, a man appeared from the direction the maid had taken. He seemed to be almost the exact opposite of Balgus, short instead of tall, slender instead of broad, with a paleness that spoke of little time spent outdoors. The mustache dotting his upper lip was thin and slick looking. She was sure he thought it looked good, judging by the way he kept smoothing it with his thumb and forefinger. But to her, it looked rather like a worm that had wiggled its way across his upper lip and gotten stuck there. She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

The man's eyes flickered over her, flaring with some emotion she couldn't name, but was sure she didn't like. Deliberately ignoring her, he turned so she was out of his line of sight. Now facing Balgus, he inclined his head.

"You wished to see me?"

"Yes." After that single word, his voice dropped to a low rumble that made it impossible for her to make out his exact words. It must have been something the other man found surprising though, because it wasn't too much longer before he was throwing an incredulous look back at her. Feeling uncomfortable, she tipped her head forward, allowing her tangled hair to hide her face. The two men continued to talk for what seemed like an awfully long time. Shifting her position several times, she wound up with her back against the wall, one shoeless foot swinging in lazy arcs in front of her.

When a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, Merle almost jumped out of her skin. She lifted her head to see Balgus looking at her closely. Squirming slightly under the inspection, she waited to see what he had to say. If she'd been hoping for a more in-depth explanation of what was going to happen, she was to be sadly disappointed.

"Everything's been arranged. You'll have a place here now." With a small squeeze to her shoulder and a smaller nod of acknowledgement towards the man, he turned on his heel. Seconds later, he had vanished through the same door they'd come in.

A shudder ran through her slight frame as the unsettling feeling she'd had upon the other man's arrival intensified. Turning to face him, she caught the now unhidden expression on his face. It was a mix of revulsion and superiority. She shuddered again.

As she watched him glare at her, she could see his nostrils flare and his lip curl. Regardless of what Balgus had said, this man obviously did not want her around. That thought was verified when he took a quick step forward and caught her shoulder in a bruising grip.

Barely managing not to cry out, she was nearly jerked off her feet as he half-ran down the hall. When she tried to pull away, he merely tightened his hold, his fingers digging deeply into her flesh. A small whimper was torn from her throat at the throbbing pain that shot down her arm.

"A cat girl!" she heard the man mutter under his breath. "He brings a cat girl and expects her to be allowed near the prince! Really, it's too much!"

Before the impact of his words could sink in, she found herself in a stifling room bursting with all sorts of sounds and smells. Cooking meat, clacking knives, the banging of pots being stirred, and the thuds of plates being stacked bombarded her senses.

"Laurinda!" The man called out, traces of anger and impatience coloring his voice. A moment passed with no visible response to his bellow. "Laurinda!"

"I'm right here," a mildly irritated voice answered from one side. Being jerked around so swiftly the room seemed to fuse into a multi-colored arc, Merle felt her stomach give a lurch. When it settled, she saw a short woman with graying hair standing in front of her, a fist planted on either hip. Her plump cheeks were flushed red from the heat in the room, and strands of hair had pulled free from her bun to curl around her face. She felt the woman give her a quick, though not altogether unkind, once over. "What is it that brings you to the kitchens, Master Josias?"

"Here," he answered, giving her already sore shoulder a firm shove to move her forward. "Do something with . . .this."

A bewildered look crossed the woman's face and her mouth opened, but before she could speak, the man cut in. "Set her to catching vermin, or scrubbing floors, or something else. It doesn't matter what. Just keep her out of the way." With that demand made, he relinquished his hold, turned on his heel, and left the room.

Merle heard the woman heave a sigh. For a long moment, she waited to see what would come next. Then a gentler hand pressed her forward, leading her down the entire length of the room. She caught a few muttered "poor dear" comments, but mostly tried to ignore everything around her. As she was shown to a small cubbyhole off to one side, a single thought was running through her mind.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

* * *

A/N: To make this story work, there was one detail that needed to be changed from the series' information. According to the Compendium, Merle was brought to Fanelia "in infancy". Obviously, Merle would not have been old enough to understand what was going on around her. So she's a little older in here, four or five, and everyone else's ages were bumped up accordingly.


	2. A New Life

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

****

Chapter Two

_A New Life_

* * *

Merle sighed as she heard the last of the kitchen workers leave the room. The fires that burned through the day had been banked, and the heat they'd provided had already begun to disperse. Shutters had been pulled closed, blocking out even the dim light the moons and stars might have offered. In the large area, the counters and worktables had been transformed into hulking masses of deep shadows.

The air maintained the faint scent of cooked meat, causing Merle's stomach to give a vicious growl. Placing one hand on it, she rubbed slightly, hoping it would keep it down. The louder it was, the harder it would be to relieve it. All she needed was for her noisy stomach to chase away the mice that formed her only sure meal of the day.

Sliding from her pallet, she raised both arms high over her head, stretching out cramped muscles. Spending all day curled up in the corner might be the best way to go unnoticed, but it made getting up quite painful. Yawning, she dropped her arms. It was time to get to work. As she had every night since her arrival two weeks before, Merle made her way through the dark kitchen. She easily dodged all obstacles, having memorized the room's layout quickly.

Her position had been made clear her first day, as well as the fact that there were rules she was to follow, and punishments for breaking those rules. During the day, she was not supposed to bother the workers in any way. This included getting under their feet, sneaking food as they worked, or otherwise distracting them from their duties. Only when they were finished and had left for their own homes was she allowed to leave her spot in the alcove.

If she did as she was told, she would be left alone for the most part. It wasn't any great reward, but she preferred it the curious looks and whispered questions she wasn't supposed to overhear. They never bothered to ask _her_, not that she would have been able to answer. Their guesses were as good as her own as to why Fanelia's great warrior had decided to bring her here.

Her ears twitched as she heard a scrabbling sound from one corner of the room. Freezing in her tracks, she tilted her head to listen. A moment passed, then the sound came again. Balancing on the balls of her feet, Merle made her way across the room. Not even a whisper of sound heralded her approach. As she ducked under a long table, a quiet squeak, magnified by her ears and concentration, helped her pinpoint her prey's location.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, Merle waited for the right moment to make her move. Her muscles tightened as she prepared herself for the chase that was to come. She felt her body begin to tremble as she waited . . . waited . . .wai-

There! A scrabbling sound reached her, sending her into action. In less than a second she was on the ground, her feet pushing her forward with a burst of speed. One outstretched hand brushed fur and she closed her fist, but it was a split second too late. A warm body scampered over her hand at the same time as her momentum slammed her shoulder-first into the stone wall.

"Oomph!" Merle's breath left her in a rush, and she paused to check herself out. She would have a bruise in the morning, but the damage didn't seem to be too bad. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her head to scan the room. This was one mouse that was going to be caught, no matter what.

Remaining low to the ground, she slowly made her way to the center of the room. Settling down, she focused all her attention on the sounds, smells, and movement around her. She knew it wouldn't take long for her target to give itself away, and it didn't. There was a blur of motion near the hall, and she was after it the second it registered in her mind.

On all fours, Merle quickly covered the ground between herself and the mouse. As she slid around one corner, her feet scrambled for leverage on the slick stones. Gaining traction, she struggled for more speed. Her eyes were locked on the furry body in front of her, never wavering as she kept on its trail. The surroundings faded into nothingness, all details lost to her single-minded pursuit as she darted down halls and flew around corners.

Merle felt her heart pick up as she drew nearer with every step. It was always like this toward the end, as everything in her world narrowed to those final few steps, that one last lunge before she accomplished what she had set out to do. For that handful of seconds, she was the strong one, the one in charge.

She came to a stop in front of a doorway. The door itself was ajar, leaving enough space for her quarry to have slipped inside. A soft scuffling confirmed that that was what had happened. Without a moment's hesitation, Merle moved right up to the crack that led into the room. Slipping her head inside, she took in the layout.

A large, shadowy outline filled the left side of the room, while a few smaller shapes littered the opposite side. The two windows directly across from the door let in soft moonlight, but not enough to clearly illuminate the chamber's contents. While a part of Merle's mind took in all those facts, most of her attention was on the small, gray form scampering its way along the far wall.

Dropping low to the ground, Merle narrowed her eyes in concentration. Judging the distance between where she stood and her prey, she knew that if she timed it right, she could be on the mouse before it had any warning. Slowly sliding through the door, she waited until she was sure she hadn't given her presence away. Everything remained calm. A deep breath, a twitch of her tail, and she was moving.

The force that she had launched herself with got her across the room even faster than she had expected. Just that quickly, the hunt was over and her target was wrapped tightly in her hand. Pausing to savor the moment, she allowed herself a smile as the feeling of success washed through her.

A sound from the room brought her out of her self-congratulatory reverie. The soft rustling was hardly loud, but it was perfectly clear in the silence of the room. For the first time, Merle truly took note of her surroundings.

The large object from before was actually a massive bed. Her eyes drifted over the lump in the center of that bed, confirming that whoever was sleeping there had probably been the source of the sound. The knowledge that there was someone else in the room made her swallow hard.

She had gotten so wrapped up in the chase that she really hadn't noticed as she strayed from the kitchen area. If she was caught in here, she would be in no small amount of trouble. Even though it had been an accident, she doubted anyone would give her a chance to explain why she had strayed from what they had decided was "her place".

Turning to look at the still open doorway, Merle listened carefully to the sounds of the room's other occupant. There was a soft sigh, and more rustling as the figure moved under the covers. Then there was nothing but the gentle, even breathing of someone deeply asleep.

Forcing herself to keep calm, she took a cautious step forward. All she had to do was get to the door, and she could slip away before anyone saw her. No one would be the wiser. Just a few more steps, and everything would be . . .

"Ow!" Merle stifled a yelp as she felt sharp teeth sink into her finger. In her worry, she had completely forgotten about the mouse she'd been holding. Jerking in surprise at the sneak attack, she unintentionally released her grip, sending her captive towards the ground.

A last second attempt to snatch it from the air accomplished nothing but pushing her off balance. Merle windmilled her arms, but it didn't help. A moment later, she was falling backwards, wincing as her back connected with something hard. A screeching noise filled the air as the object gave way to her weight. She landed on her back on the floor while the unknown item slammed into the wall with a loud thud.

Forcing herself into a sitting position, Merle found herself facing the bed. As she watched in a suspended state of horror, the no-longer sleeping figure bolted upright. The blankets it had been huddled under were draped half over the person's head, and one arm flailed to remove them.

Time seemed to slow as her eyes locked onto that individual. All she could make out was a mop of black hair, but it was enough to bring her to her senses. Forgetting all about the mouse that had gotten her into this in the first place, Merle began an all-out dash for the door. Narrowly avoiding the wall, she was out the door and speeding down the hall before she took her next breath.

Without knowing exactly how, she found herself back in the kitchen, chest heaving as she panted for air. Running straight for the corner, she threw herself back onto her bed, her arms wrapped around her trembling body. Long moments passed, but there were no running footsteps, no shouting voices. Merle began to breathe easier. Maybe whoever it was would think it was just a dream.

More time passed, and still there was nothing. Her eyes began to drift closed as the adrenaline wore off. Yawning slightly, she settled more deeply into the pallet. Whoever it was would probably have forgotten all about the noise by morning.

She hoped.

* * *

Seven-year-old Van Fanel remained frozen in his bed, scarcely breathing as he tried to take in what had just happened. One minute, he was deeply asleep and dreaming of pleasant things. The next, a loud thump accompanied by a shrill screeching bludgeoned his ears, jerking him awake. At first, he could see nothing and fear rushed through him. Suffocating darkness surrounded him, and he realized that his blanket was over his head.

As he yanked it off, he caught a glimpse of _something_ racing through the door. It was little more than an indistinct blur, but the sight of it raised the hair on the back of his neck. Resisting the urge to dive back under the covers, Van carefully crept to the bottom edge of his bed. Keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of movement, he scanned the room for a long moment. Nothing moved.

Tossing the covers off completely, he started to lower one foot to the ground. Something had been in his room, and he wanted to know what it was. He would search the castle from top to bottom if he had to.

Just as his toes touched the cool floor, something warm and furry brushed his ankle. A shriek tore from his throat as he leapt back onto the bed. Three seconds later he sat against the headboard, wrapped head to toe in his bedspread

Yes, sir, he would search every room to find the culprit. Just as soon as the sun came up.


	3. A New Discovery

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Three  
**_A New Discovery_

* * *

Empty. Van sighed in discouragement as he finished his inspection of the final bedroom on the second floor. He had searched under the bed and all the furniture, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Sitting up, he wiped his dusty hands on the knees of his pants, trying to figure out his next move. He'd been sure he would have found some form of proof by now.

As soon as the sun had risen, he had slipped from his bed and begun his self-imposed task. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he figured he would know it when he saw it. The entire morning had passed as he moved through the castle's many rooms, checking every nook and cranny that he knew. Several hours and some serious bouts of dust-induced sneezing later, he was still empty handed.

The few people he'd mentioned his late night visitor to had merely patted him on the shoulder and assured him he'd just been dreaming. No matter how many times he tried to tell them that he'd been wide awake, they just smiled in that way that told him they still thought it was only his imagination. But it _had_ happened; he knew it had. The chair that usually sat at the foot of his bed had been bumped the whole way across the room. That had obviously been the source of the loud scraping sound that had woken him in the first place.

If it had been one of the castle's numerous staff, they probably wouldn't have been in his room that late in the first place. But if they had been, they would have spoken to him once they'd made enough noise to wake the dead. Based on the facts, Van knew that whoever, or whatever, it had been, it was not someone he'd met before. This made him even more determined to find them.

Leaning his shoulder against the bed frame beside him, Van absentmindedly scratched at a bug bite on his neck. He was back where he had started. The bedrooms he'd checked had all been empty; the same went for the larger meeting rooms. The gardens had seemed the same as ever, and nothing in the library caught his attention. He was running out of places to look.

"Lord Van!" The grating voice coming from the open doorway had Van silently groaning even as he twisted to face its owner.

"Master Josias," he muttered, seeing his exploration coming to a sudden end. He had been dodging the tutor for most of the day. The older man had been trying to track him down since that morning, when he failed to show up for the day's lecture. Van had been hoping that he could keep one step ahead until he solved his mystery, but it looked like it was back to dry speeches on economics.

Sometimes life was so unfair.

* * *

Merle sat on her bed, staring blankly at the floor. She could hear the kitchen workers banging pots and pans as they cleaned up. In just a few moments, everything would be put away and they would leave. She sighed. It seemed like the only constant in her life was people leaving her behind.

Turning to lay on her back, she redirected her gaze to the rafters. The fiasco from the night before had seemed to go unnoticed, luckily for her. All day she'd been tense with worry, waiting for someone to come and throw her out. As unsatisfying as her existence here was, it was many times better than facing the unknown again. Just thinking about those long, cold nights huddled alone made her shiver.

That thought had gotten her thinking. Although her life here in the castle wasn't perfect by any means, it was better than it could have been. She had a roof over her head, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat, albeit mostly that which she could catch herself. Who was she to complain?

Mentally gathering her pride around her, Merle nodded sharply to herself. She had more than a lot of other people had, and she was even doing something to earn it. It wasn't charity; it was a job. And one she was going to start tackling with a lot more purpose from now on.

_

* * *

_

Later that night . . .

Van slowly opened his eyes while remaining completely still. For long moments, he waited, listening for any sound that might give away an intruder's presence. There was nothing, however. Tossing the covers to the side, he sat up. He hesitated before lowering both feet to the floor, half afraid there was to be a repeat of the night before. When no warm, fuzzy body slammed itself into his ankles, he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and stood.

A glance at the position of the moons in the sky told him it was later than he'd thought. A wave of sadness flowed through him as he remembered who had taught him about the stars and moons. Folken had been a great teacher, patient and understanding, as he explained how to tell time and even locations just by looking up.

Van's head drooped, his excitement, for the moment, forgotten. This midnight hunt was just the sort of thing he would have persuaded Folken into doing with him. He knew there were things his big brother would rather have been doing, but he had always made time for Van anyway. A small, sad smile crossed Van's face as he remembered the adventures he'd had with his brother. Adventures he'd never have again.

With a heavy sigh, he straightened his shoulders. Folken was gone, and it didn't look like he was ever coming back. He would just have to get used to doing things like this on his own. After all, it was now he who was going to be king, and kings had to rely on themselves, not others.

His sense of adventure and determination renewed, Van headed purposefully towards the doorway. Through the small crack between the frame and the door, he saw no light. This meant that all the servants had also retired for the night, putting out the wall sconces before doing so. Easing the door open slowly, he winced at every little creak. Finally the door was open wide enough for him to slip through into the hall.

So far, so good.

The hallway was dark with shadows, changing the length into an unfamiliar tunnel of the unknown. A shiver ran up his spine, and for a moment he considered going back to bed. But just for a moment. His instincts were telling him that what he was looking for was close, very close. All he had to do was find it.

The trip down the hall was accomplished in a series of stops and starts, with Van freezing each time he heard a noise. His breath would catch in his throat and he'd wait for someone to come into the hall, but no one ever did. It was quite a bit later when he found himself in the dining hall. The room was nothing more than dark shapes against dark walls, but he didn't need light. He knew every inch of it by heart. There wasn't a table he hadn't hidden under, a chair he hadn't knocked over. He'd even counted the stones in one of the walls during one painfully boring dinner.

Three hundred and seventy-eight.

Using his knowledge, Van made his way across the room in almost complete silence. One hand brushed across the surfaces of the tables as he passed, silently counting them off. He came to a stop by the short passage leading to the kitchens. During his exploration that morning, he hadn't even bothered checking the kitchens. At that time of day, it would have been crawling with people. He knew from experience that he would have been hustled back to his tutor, although maybe a cookie richer for his efforts.

But now . . . At this time of night, it was sure to be empty. So why was he hearing a strange sound from that direction? Moving a few steps into the hall, he paused and listened again. The sound was a bit clearer, but no more identifiable. One thing was very obvious; there was someone in there.

Deciding that discretion would be a good thing in case something dangerous was making the noise, Van crouched down, making himself as small as possible. Walking that way wasn't easy, but he managed the trip with only a couple of raps into his chin from his knees on the way. Soon, almost too soon for him, he was peeking around the corner into the kitchen.

At first, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. A small lamp had been left burning in one of the wall holders on the far wall, but since he'd never been in this room at night before, he couldn't say if that was unusual. Maybe one was left burning every night in case someone wanted a midnight snack. Shrugging it off, he continued his examination. The long tables that split the room in half were empty, their tops seeming to stretch on forever. The huge fireplace that filled an entire wall was little more than a yawning mouth; the dim embers of the day's fire a glowing tongue.

Frowning at himself for bringing that thought up, Van shifted to see farther around the corner. From this angle, he was looking straight to the back of the room. What he saw there almost made him fall over.

On the wall was the shadow of a giant . . ._something_, its pointed ears brushing the ceiling. A tail flicked out behind it, swaying from side to side. As he watched, it dropped down into a crouch on all fours, the tail falling still. His eyes widened and he felt himself tense with fear. What was going to happen now? Only his last bit of courage and a firm reminder to himself that he hadn't been seen kept him glued to the spot. He swallowed hard, trying to ease the dry feeling in his mouth and throat.

A second later, whatever was making the shadow suddenly lunged forward. A faint clicking sound came to his ears, the same sound that had led him to this room in the first place. Claws against the floor? The reason for its sudden movement became clear when it stood once more, holding something in one fist. Squinting, Van thought he could make out the shape of a mouse.

Just as he was wondering to himself what it would want with a mouse, he saw it raise the small animal high. Three seconds and a squishy sound later, it was gone. Van felt his stomach give a queasy twist as he watched the unpleasant sight. Without meaning to, he groaned.

Even as he made the low-pitched sound, he slapped a hand over his mouth. All he could do was hope that whatever was down the length of wall hadn't heard him. Agonizing moments later, when nothing happened, he figured he was safe. As the fear drained out of him, it was replaced something else entirely. Curiosity. What was that thing, and why was it in the castle's kitchen?

Reason and self-preservation warred with a burning urge to investigate. Surely if he was quiet enough, and didn't get too close, he could safely catch a glimpse. Then all he had to do was hightail it back to his room with his newly gained knowledge and wait till morning to share it with all the people who had doubted him. It was that thought that decided it. He couldn't bear the thought of coming this far and having nothing to tell once it was all over.

He was going in.

Dropping to his hands and knees, Van rounded the corner, staying as close to the wall as he could. Covering only a hands length at a time, he slowly, slowly moved forward. He could feel sweat trickling down his back, soaking into his shirt by the time he made it to the opposite corner. The light was brighter here, and he knew he'd have to be extremely careful. If he could see it, then it could also see him.

A deep breath, a silent pep talk, and Van was ready as he'd ever be. Lying almost flat on the ground, he inched his head forward. As his eyes cleared the wall, he caught his first glimpse of his monster.

****

Next Chapter:

"_A New Challenge" _Van and Merle finally meet face to face. 


	4. A New Challenge

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Flashback: **"_A deep breath, a silent pep talk, and Van was as ready as he'd ever be. Lying almost flat on the ground, he inched his head forward. As his eyes cleared the wall, he caught the first glimpse of his monster."_

**Chapter Four  
**_A New Challenge_

* * *

Van froze as the sight before him truly sank in. Instead of the hulking monster with fangs dripping blood that he had expected, he found himself looking at a girl. And a small girl, at that. She sat on her haunches a scant few feet away, calmly licking at her hand.

Her ears stuck out from an unruly mop of pink hair that fell several inches past her shoulders. The thing that really caught his attention, though, was her tail. It was long and thin, with dark stripes marking the entire length. At that moment, it was curled around her feet but he could see the very tip flicking back and forth, back and forth.

The sight was almost hypnotic in a way, and Van found himself inching forward to get a better look. He barely managed to stop before her gave himself away. Slipping back around the corner, he leaned against the wall.

He had seen beast people before, of course. They were fairly common in Fanelia and its surrounding forests. But he had never seen one so close-up, or so young. If he remembered what Master Josias had droned about them one day, the younger members of the families were usually sheltered until they were his age or older. It was their parents' way of keeping them safe while they taught them how to take care of themselves.

Van thought that that was probably a good thing, especially if they were going to be around others who thought like his tutor. The entire lecture had been littered with phrases like "dumb animals" and "horrid creatures, really". That had helped Van's vague annoyance with the man edge closer to full blown dislike. He wondered what Master Josias would have to say about his own less than pure heritage.

Shrugging that thought off, Van put himself back on track. Could that girl be the person who had been in his room? And if she was, why? For that matter, what she doing in the castle's kitchen now? Did anyone else know she was here?

Question after question filled his mind, and Van knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he got some answers. But how was he supposed to get those answers? Who exactly could he ask about the mysterious girl?

The small bit of her clothing that he had been able to see had shown it to be made out of a plain, serviceable fabric like most of the maids wore. That pointed towards her being a commoner. That meant he would have to ask someone of the same station if he wanted information.

Van frowned as he went over his short list of options. All of them had one drawback or another. His asking about her would be sure to raised questions aimed back at him. They would want to know where and when he had seen her. That would lead to the obvious query as to what he was doing creeping around the halls in the middle of the night. Leaning his head against the wall, he fought a sigh. All those factors really only left him with one choice.

He was going to have to talk to the girl himself.

* * *

Merle carefully cleaned all traces of her meal from her hands and face. Her tail swished contentedly against the floor as she savored the absence of hunger pains. It wasn't a full stomach, but it had been too long to remember since she'd felt that particular sensation. As far as she was concerned, this was just as good.

Finished with her washing, she stretched both arms high over her head. The chase from just moments before had been short, but her muscles were still sore from the previous night. All that running and slamming into things had taken a toll, some aspects of which had become very clear when she'd slipped out of bed earlier that day.

Slumping down a bit, Merle sighed. For all that she had embraced her new life, the nights were still far from entertaining. Aside from the brief pursuits, there was little to break up the monotony of the long hours until sunrise. That was probably why her mind seemed intent on reliving the night be fore's out-of-bounds excursion. It was the first exciting and different thing to happen to her since her chance meeting with Balgus.

Forcibly resurrecting her "think positive" strategy, Merle slowly got to her feet. There had to be something she could do to keep herself occupied. She had just begun compiling a list of activities that wouldn't get her in trouble when she heard it. It was a subtle sound, nothing more than a mere whisper of movement.

She froze. Now that she was focusing, she could make out the faint sound of slow, even breaths. There was someone else in the room! Without really wanting to, she slowly turned towards the noise.

Just as Merle finished turning, a head popped around the corner. A quiet yelp escaped her before she could stop it. She got one glimpse of dark hair and dark eyes and instinct took over. In less than a second, she turned on her heel and took off. The other person yelled something after her, but there was no way she was going to stop. All she could think was that someone had found out about the night before, that she was caught.

Suddenly, all the hours with nothing to do but explore came in handy. She knew every crevice and cubbyhole in the kitchen, and she was about to put that knowledge to good use. Slipping around a cabinet and ducking under a table, she found herself by the large pantries. Scrambling inside, she shivered as the cooler air hit her skin. At the far end, there was a square of empty space, ready for the next morning's milk delivery.

Curling into a ball, she huddled in that corner, willing herself to breath as quietly as she could. She squeezed her eyes shut so tightly she saw flashes of light, and waited.

Footsteps crossed the kitchen, advancing and then retreating as the other person looked for her. She almost jumped out of her skin when they spoke.

"I'm not going to hurt you." The voice was young, but obviously belonged to a boy. "You can come out. I just want to talk." Merle didn't move.

There was a sigh of exasperation. "I just want to know why you're here, and if it was you in my room last night."

She swallowed hard. It was the person from the night before. She was really going to be in for it now. He would tell Laurinda, and Laurinda would tell that nasty tutor, and he would have her thrown out of the castle just when she was finally getting used to it. She had known the thin man hated her on sight, and he would probably enjoy tossing her out. People would gather around to yell and throw things at her as she scurried away, just like the villagers had when she was younger.

Merle was so wrapped up in that memory that she jumped when the boy sighed loudly. Her shoulder brushed into a jar, bumping it into the one sitting next to it. The soft clink sounded horribly loud to her ears, and she cringed.

But the boy spoke as if her hadn't heard it. "Well, fine. If you aren't gonna come out, I'm not gonna waste all night talking to myself." The irritated declaration was quickly followed by footsteps leaving the room. For long moments after the sound faded away, Merle remained in her hiding place. She could hardly believe that she had gotten off so easily. Maybe the boy would leave her alone, now that he knew she wasn't going to jump at his orders.

With a soft sigh, she slipped from her hiding spot and headed towards the door. She could only hope this would be the boy's first and last late night visit to the kitchens.

* * *

If there was one thing that Van Fanel wasn't, it was a quitter. He had won more than one argument with Folken simply by refusing to give in. When there was something he truly wanted, nothing would stop him from going after it with everything he had. Finding out who the jumpy little cat girl was had just become his top priority.

He hadn't even spoken when she took off like an orange streak, ducking under tables and around corners. It was instantly clear that she knew her way around, which probably meant she'd spent a good bit of time in that room. While that answered one question, it made another even more imperative. Why?

He'd made several laps around the room, trying to coax her into coming out. It didn't take long to realize that that was a lost cause. She had some reason she was trying to keep away from him, and a few words from him weren't going to change that. Frustration at coming so close only to be thwarted made him sigh heavily. That was when he heard the noise. It had taken him a moment to place it, but the sound of bottles clinking was something he'd heard many times. A sly smile had crossed his face as he figured out her hiding place.

Van knew she would stay in the pantry for as long as it took for him to go away. As far as he knew, she could wait all night. He, unfortunately, didn't have that much time. If he wasn't back in bed before sunup, this would be his last late night foray for a long time to come.

Thinking back on the things he had overheard by listening in on Folken's training, he tried to come up with some sort of plan. A look that the maids had come to know and fear crossed his face and he smiled. Trying to sound as annoyed as possible, he mumbled something about not wasting his time and stomped back the way he had come in. Making it to the door, he stopped, and then retraced his steps as silently as he could.

A split second decision had him leaning against the wall beside the pantry door rather than charging in. He hadn't had any close contact with a cat girl before, but he'd heard stories about their wickedly sharp claws and teeth. If he could, he'd rather avoid being turned into a chew toy.

Not that he was scared, of course.

Van chewed his lower lip as he waited, practically holding his breath. It took almost longer than his nerves could stand, but then he heard the soft sound of movement. The steps were slow and cautious as they came closer to the door. Van prepared to act.

When he figured she should be just a few steps from the door, he finally took action. In a move he hoped was too quick for her to see coming, he turned so that he was completely blocking the doorway, cutting off her only exit. He braced an arm on either side of the doorframe and spread his feet to help hold his position.

He had been expecting the short scream that came next, so it was no surprise. What he hadn't expected was for the girl to come barreling forward. The startling action brought her slamming forcefully into the center of his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. His hands automatically dropped from the doorframe to grab at the girl's arms.

It was the wrong move to make. Without the added support of his grip, Van found himself teetering off balance. The wiggling of his captive as she tried to get free didn't help matters. With an almost detached air, he acknowledged what was almost destined to happen. One extra hard twist from the cat girl and Van felt himself start to fall backwards. He squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his grip as he waited for the impact.

The kitchen's stone floors did not make for a soft landing. Van could feel more than one battered limb that was going to be sporting a few new bruises come morning. Opening his eyes to inspect the damage, he immediately froze. Two large unblinking blue eyes stared back at him, their owner sprawled halfway across his chest.

The both moved at the same time. She scrambled to the left, managing to send her elbow into his stomach in the process. Gasping slightly, Van was able to get a new grip on her wrist even as he clambered to his knees. They were less than a foot apart, linked only by his hand.

Several long moments passed, and he was surprised when the girl made no effort to escape. Coming to a decision, Van slowly released his grip, letting his arm drop to his side. She didn't so much as flick an eyelash.

For the first time since meeting her face-to-face, he felt a bit of hope. Maybe she had finally realized that she had nothing to be afraid of. Letting some of his good mood show on his face, he smiled.

"I'm Van."

**

* * *

**

Next Chapter:

"A New Trial" The Van and Merle friendship really begins, but the road is far from smooth.


	5. A New Trial

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Flashback:**_"Several long moments passed, and he was surprised when the girl made no effort to escape. Coming to a decision, Van slowly released his grip, letting his arm drop to his side. She didn't so much as flick an eyelash…_

_'I'm Van.'"_

**Chapter Five  
**_A New Trial_

* * *

Merle could feel her eyes widen when the boy in front of her, now dusty and disheveled after their chase and tumble, introduced himself as Van. During her long nights, she'd had time to go over every word that Balgus had said before his quick departure. The few sentences he'd spoken were now firmly imprinted on her mind. The meager lines directed towards her had been general assurances that she'd be taken care of, but the bit she'd overheard him say to the mustached man had held more information.

It was then that he had mentioned the name Van, and said something about him needing someone his age around. Had he been talking about this boy?

Tilting her head to the side, she took a good, long look at him. His dark hair fell over his forehead in untidy waves, almost covering his eyes. He wore a loose red shirt and beige pants, both of which were just as dusty as the rest of him. But even through the grime, she could tell that this was no servant boy; he was obviously someone of some importance.

So what did he have to do with Balgus' decision to bring her here? For that matter, what was he doing sneaking around the kitchen in the middle of the night? Deciding that the need to know overrode her natural instinct to remain silent until she could escape, Merle returned her gaze to his face.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked bluntly, purposely not giving her own name. The boy looked taken aback for an instant, but quickly recovered. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Well, I asked you first," Merle retorted, mirroring the belligerent action.

The large room was silent for a long moment as they glared at each other, both refusing to take the first step. Unnoticed by the two, the first dim lights of dawn had begun creeping over the sky. Squinting one eye, Merle continued looking at the boy, waiting for what would come next. But what _did_ happen was not what she'd been expecting.

Faint voices sounded from outside, causing both of their heads to swivel towards the door. Merle recognized the voices of some of the kitchen staff, and realized how late it had gotten during their encounter. Panic gripped her at the thought of getting caught with Van in the room; for all she knew, it could be enough of an offense to get her booted out. Whipping her head back towards him, she began to urge him to leave. One glance, and the words died on her tongue.

On his face was a look that had to match her own. A mix of fear, alarm, and indecision was clearly visible, and his hands dropped to rest on his knees. Before she could gather her wits enough to question his reaction, Van turned back to her.

"I have to go. But I'll be back." And with those few words, he was off, getting to his feet and heading to the hall at a pace she would be hard pressed to duplicate. Merle remained motionless, staring after him in bewilderment. When the voices became loud enough to break through her dazed state, she quickly headed back to her corner, ducking out of sight just as the first of the women entered.

Turning on her side to face the wall, she sighed. Even though she'd only just met him, had said less than twenty words to him, she knew that the boy would keep his word. He would be back, and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

Van shifted in his seat, tuning out Master Josias' speech about the proper phrasing of some official document. His eyes drifted to the window where the perfect early spring day was playing itself out for those lucky enough to enjoy it. He fought a sigh, knowing that the slightest noise would bring his tutor's attention flying back to him and away from the sound of his own voice. Then he'd have to pretend interest for the rest of the afternoon or risk an even more boring lecture about respecting his elders.

He yawned widely, feeling his eyelids droop. The night without sleep was beginning to catch up with him. After racing from the kitchen, he had jumped into his bed. With the covers over his head, he had waited, listening to the slight sounds that filtered through the halls, just in case. And though no one had even passed his room during those early hours, he had been far to tense to fall asleep.

Nodding absently at something his tutor was saying, Van let his thoughts drift back to the real matter at hand. There had been a cat girl in the kitchen last night, and something, instinct or just a darn good guess, was telling him that she was the person who'd been in his room as well.

That deduction supplied him with one question's resolution, but he now had a whole list of more questions that only she could answer. That meant he would have to talk to her again.

But how?

She hadn't seemed that thrilled about his presence last night, as her immediate flight told him. But it was something about that quick urge to run that caught Van's attention. She had seemed almost . . .afraid. Had she been afraid of _him_? His brow furrowed as he thought about that. As much as he was determined to get her to talk to him, he didn't want her to be scared of him. So what was she so frightened of?

Another question without an answer, he thought to himself, letting his eyes drift back to the window. It was beginning to get annoying. Even though he didn't think of himself as demanding, he did like to get what he wanted, when he wanted it. In this case, he wanted a whole lot of information, and he wanted it now.

"Lord Van!" came a loud voice, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. Van looked up to see a noticeably unpleased Master Josias giving him a stare that was just this side of a glare. The older man had crossed both arms over his chest and tilted his head to the side. His jaw was thrust out, and all in all, he presented a vaguely amusing sight, but Van knew better than to let that opinion show on his face.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, injecting what he hoped was the right amount of meekness into his voice. Normally, he wouldn't have given this man the pleasure of his obedience, but right now, he was willing to follow the path of least resistance. The sooner he got this confrontation over with, the sooner Master Josias would go back to droning, and the sooner the day's lesson would end.

"Is there something you would rather be doing right now? Something that you might consider more important than these lessons?"

Van fought the urge to roll his eyes. Like he was going to fall for that, one of the oldest adult tricks in the book. Why did grown-ups think kids were stupid enough to admit to something that would get them in trouble? "No, sir."

His tutor gave him another long look, and then dropped his arms. "In that case, let's get back to work." Walking quickly back to his desk, he grabbed some sheets of paper and a pen. Returning to Van's side, he laid them on the table with a snap. "Why don't we try a few drafts just be sure."

Too many hours later for Van's contentment, he finally escaped outside. Glaring down at his hands, which were now spotted with black ink, he muttered under his breath, imitating Master Josias' high-pitched voice. "'Your letters should be straight and neat, but show the firmness befitting someone of your station.' Like anybody cares how I write." He kicked at a rock and watched as it bounced off a tree. Shoving his hands deeply into his pockets, he began to walk, with no real destination in mind.

He knew that tutors were going to be a part of his life; it was the expected thing. The same had been true for Folken. But he didn't remember his brother's tutor as being quite so . . .arrogant. The man he remembered had been soft spoken and patient, always willing to answer even Van's questions about things.

Something about Master Josias just rubbed him the wrong way. Even as recently as just a couple of months before, Van would have gone to his mother with this problem, and asked her what she thought of the situation. But now he was lucky to see her once a week, and he didn't want to waste the little bit of time he had with her complaining. He knew that things had been hard on her, but they'd been tough for him too. It was beginning to feel like he'd lost more than just his brother to that dragon slaying ritual.

As soon as that thought solidified in his mind, he straightened his shoulders. He wasn't going to mope around, whining about things he couldn't change. He was just going to have to be strong, and handle his problems on his own. After all, he was going to be king and rule an entire country. He didn't need anyone's help.

Sighing, Van lifted his head, looking at but not seeing the large expanse of sky and buildings before him. Finally pulling himself out his dark thought enough to notice his surroundings, he found that he had unconsciously wandered to the back entrance of the kitchens. A handful of people milled around, unloading carts and doing other random chores. Ducking around a stomping horse, Van kept his distance. He knew from experience that cutting through the people would only result in him getting underfoot, which would lead to him being told to "play somewhere else". The last thing he wanted was another lecture so soon after his previous one.

It was as he was taking this round about path that he saw a glimpse of something through one of the windows. A flash of color that caught his eye and made him turn for a closer look. There, almost invisible unless you looked closely, was none other than the girl from the night before. She was leaning against the window frame, her pink hair standing out against the stark stone.

Van stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times to be sure that he really was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Even as he took a step forward she moved, ducking out of sight. He waited, but she didn't reappear.

His brow furrowed in thought, Van headed back the way he had come. There had to be a lot of people in the kitchen at this hour of the afternoon, working on dinner and so on. If the girl was still there, that had to mean she was supposed to be there. Didn't it? So why hadn't she just told him that last night?

He shook his head. Tonight he'd pay a return visit to the kitchen, especially since he was sure she'd be there again. Then he'd ask her all the questions that were bouncing around in his head.


	6. A New Understanding

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

****

Chapter Six

_A New Understanding_

* * *

Merle growled softly deep in her throat as she pivoted on her heel to continue her pacing. Her thoughts were in such turmoil that she couldn't bring herself to remain still for more than a few moments. All she could do was try to keep herself occupied. So far, it wasn't working.

It wasn't surprising, really, that she was so upset. That boy, Van, had promised he would return tonight, and somehow, she knew he had meant it. He would be back, and she didn't have a clue what she was going to do then. Past experience had taught her that children could be much worse than adults when it came to making trouble in someone else's life. They had yet to learn that what went around inevitably came around, and therefore held nothing back when it came to torturing those in a less stable position.

There was more to the situation than just attacks on her own feelings. Those she could ignore, any wounds they might leave could be easily hidden with her years of practice. She would even have the opportunity to give back as good as she got.

But no, there was a much larger threat hanging over her head. It had been made quite clear to her on the day of her arrival that she was to stay away from all of the other people she might run into. She was to do her job, and allow them to do theirs. Even if she didn't know what Van's purpose was, she did know her own, and talking to strange boys in the kitchen in the middle of the night was not a part of that.

Merle sighed, coming to an abrupt halt in mid-step. Her gaze slid to the window, and she looked distractedly at the small crowds of people, going about their business. Workers and deliverymen milled around, unloading wagons and talking to each other in loud, cheerful voices. They had reason to be happy, she thought bitterly to herself. They didn't run the risk of being tossed out on their ears for something they had no control over.

As that thought flitted through her mind, Merle started. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw Van out there, dark hair glinting in the sun, looking right back at her. Shaking her head in disbelief, she leaned forward for a closer look. But as she scanned the crowd, the people shifted, blocking her view. When they finally moved enough for her to see again, the small space was vacant.

Twisting to lean her back against the wall beside the window, Merle forced herself to take a deep breath. 'Things must really be getting to me,' she thought. 'Now I'm starting to think I see him everywhere.'

Moving slowly away from the wall, she walked with dragging steps back to her bed. Sitting on the edge, she looked unseeingly at the floor. No matter what she did, the night was going to come. There was no way to stop it. All she could do was figure out how she was going to handle the situation. Her eyes drifted shut and her shoulders slumped as the hopelessness of her situation truly began to sink in.

A soft squeaking sound pulled her from her thoughts moments later. Lifting her head, Merle saw a small, gray form shuffling along the wall in front of her. Her ears twitched as she listened to the snuffling noises it made, her eyes locked on the almost hypnotic swaying of its tail.

It popped into her mind that this could be the distraction she had been looking for. A nice little chase to take her mind off of her problems would be a welcome respite from worrying. Slipping from the bed onto all fours, she lowered herself until she was just an inch from the floor. Just as she was about to pounce, there was a clattering sound from the other side of the room. Jerking her head to the side, she was almost surprised when she saw the group of women working there. She was so used to sleeping through the day and only being up when no one else was around that she had almost forgotten about the cooks' presence.

Her eyes shifted from the mouse to the cooks and back again. She wasn't supposed to bother them while they were working, but catching mice was her job. It was the sole reason she was being allowed to stay. But she had also been told to stay away from the other people in the kitchen.

After long moments of careful thought, Merle decided to go for it. It was her job, after all, and she needed the distraction. Besides that, she might get into trouble if she _didn't_ catch it, and they saw it. And if she was very careful and kept close to the wall, she might be able to keep the mouse boxed in. The women would never have to know what she was doing.

Her decision made, she again assumed her pouncing position. Mentally plotting out her course of action, she leaned forward slightly. So long as she stayed on her prey's left side, it would be trapped between her and the wall. If luck was with her, it would head straight for the corner, effectively boxing itself in. After that, all she would have to do was make a quick grab, and it would all be over.

Her eyes narrowing with the intensity of her concentration, Merle held her breath and waited for the right moment to make her move. The glorified squeak toy continued its random examination of the floor, then suddenly shot off to one side. Without thinking, Merle gave chase. Everything around her seemed to fade into the background as she kept her eyes locked on her quarry.

The mouse slid out of view around a corner, and Merle decided it was time to end it. Putting on a burst of speed, she lunged forward. Halfway through her midair leap, her hand closed around the squirming body, and a feeling of triumph washed through her. Until she landed.

The force of her jump had her skidding a few feet forward on her landing. Unfortunately, those few feet were already occupied. Even as she slammed into the obstruction, a piercing shriek filled the air. Merle couldn't help but wince at the combined assault of volume and pitch on her sensitive ears. Following her instincts, she dropped her prize to slam both hands over the offended body parts.

As the screaming continued, Merle backed away, stopping only when her back came in contact with the wall. From the corner of her eye, she saw swishes of skirts as other members of the staff came running to see what was going on. It wasn't until a loud, authoritative voice said one word that things began to calm down.

"Enough!" In the strained silence that followed, Merle dared a quick upward glance. All six of the main workers were gathered in a semicircle around her, including one of the cooks, Nellie. Her mostly gray hair was coming loose from its bun, framing a face that had turned and alarming shade of red. She had a death grip on her skirt, and was glaring down at Merle with a look that could kill. Gulping, Merle dropped her head, determined not to look up again.

Laurinda, assured that everyone had obeyed her earlier command, asked, "What exactly is going on here?"

"That . . .that _thing_ ran right into me, for no reason at all!" Nellie punctuated her sentence with a shuddering sigh, and Merle could easily picture her pose, one hand pressing against her chest. "I said the very first day that that dirty little thing shouldn't be allowed in here, but you wouldn't listen. Now here it is, getting in the way, just like I knew it would."

There was a sigh from Laurinda, considerably quieter than Nellie's, as she listened to the woman's complaints. When she was through, Laurinda spoke again. "I'm sure this was nothing more than an accident, and nothing more. I expected more from all of you than to be thrown for loop over someone bumping into someone else. Now, it's time for everyone to just get back to work, or dinner will be late, and that's unacceptable." The calmly spoken, yet immensely firm command had immediate effect. Several of the skirts vanished from Merle's view as the women drifted back to their workstations.

Deciding she wasn't going to wait around to hear any more, she dropped her hands. Still keeping her gaze locked on the floor, she dashed back to her bed, trying her best to ignore the eyes she could feel on her fleeing form the whole way. She was almost to her sanctuary when she heard Nellie's voice again, deliberately loud in the almost silent room.

"I knew that having that thing in here would be nothing but problems. I told you all so, but no one bothered to listen to me. They never do, you know, until it's too late. You can't expect one of those to remember its place. Well, they have only themselves to blame for this. "

Diving onto her bed, Merle curled herself into the tightest ball she could manage while still being able to breathe. She covered her head with both arms and tried to block out everything around her. This way, the workday passed quickly. There was the last rush to finish preparing the evening meal, followed by the clanking of dishes as everything was cleaned up. After that, the women quickly filtered out the door, not remaining as they usually did for small talk.

It wasn't until the door slammed for the last time that Merle finally moved. She sat on the edge of her bed, listening as the women's voices faded into the distance. Even though they were gone, she didn't feel her usual motivation to get to work. All she really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and try to forget that the rest of world existed at all. Sighing at the knowledge that that wish was impossible, she slowly pushed herself into a standing position. If there was something you had to do, it was best to just face the inevitable and get it over with.

She had barely taken two steps forward when the kitchen door was flung open with no small amount of force. Merle gawked, slack jawed, as one of the younger assistants made an impressive entrance. Shoving the door closed behind her, she took several steps into the room. For a minute, she remained motionless except for one hand, which was tugging at the end of one blonde braid. This gave Merle plenty of time to draw numerous conclusions about her reason for returning. As none of them were particularly good for her, she was decidedly nervous when the other girl finally spoke.

"Hi," she said, her voice bright and slightly breathless. She added a smile before continuing. "I'm Daphne. I . . . I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't right, what Nellie said. Some people are just too stuck in the way things were to see that times have changed. Nellie's like that." She frowned slightly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I just thought you should know that not everyone's like that, even if they don't have the courage to tell you so themselves.

"Some of the older women can make it pretty hard on you if you dare go against their opinion. It's usually a lot easier to just ignore them as best you can. But this time, she went too far. It wasn't her place to say those things, and you shouldn't have had to hear them."

Daphne looked up, and Merle could see her chewing on her lower lip. "Anyway, I just thought you should know." With a wave of her hand, she made a vague gesture towards the wall where a line of pegs served to hold cloaks. A single dark blue wrap hung there, giving silent motive for the assistant cook's return. She had begun moving towards when Merle found herself speaking.

"Wait!" The word burst out before she could stop it. The older girl froze, and then looked over her shoulder with a puzzled expression. Refusing to meet her eyes, Merle looked at a spot over her head. "Thank you," she mumbled softly.

Stealing a quick glance at Daphne from the corner of her eye, she was surprised to see a smile cross her face. "You're welcome." She grabbed her cloak from its hook, quickly swinging it around her shoulders. Heading for the door, she paused again with one hand on the knob. "Give the others some time, and you'll see. Most of them are really good people. As for all the Nellies, just ignore them, and they lose their power. That's what my dad says, at least. Well, I've got to go, before the others come looking for me."

She pulled the door open, but before she could step over the threshold, Merle stopped her once more. She wasn't exactly sure why, but Daphne's unexpected show of support had made her feel a lot better. It had even buoyed her courage enough to ask about one of the things that had been weighing on her mind.

It was her turn to look at the floor as she posed her question. "Do you . . .do you know of a boy, with dark hair, named Van?"

"Lord Van, you mean? You know him? Of course you know him, otherwise you wouldn't be asking about him." She lightly smacked herself on the forehead. "He used to be down here in the kitchens all the time, sneaking cookies and things like that. But that was before . . .everything happened. I haven't seen him much lately, just once or twice on the grounds. I think his tutor keeps him pretty busy most of the time." She pursed her lips, a look of distaste crossing her expressive face. "Nasty man, that one. Like a male version of Nellie with a superiority complex, if you can imagine that."

Daphne's hand slipped from the doorknob as she leaned against the wall. "There aren't many people around here who like him, but he does hold a higher position, so there's nothing we can do. You'd think they could have found someone more appropriate to entrust the future king to, but there's no accounting for the ways of royalty. We can only hope he doesn't pick up on any of Master Josias' habits."

Before she could say anything else, a voice filtered in from outside. Daphne tilted her head to the side to listen, then straightened with a start. Offering another smile to an unmoving Merle, she pulled the door open once more. "That's for me, so I'd better go. Remember, just hang in there, okay?" With a small wave, she disappeared through the doorway.

Merle felt as though she were nailed to the floor. Just when she had thought things couldn't get more complicated, this happened. Her knees felt shaky, and she slid into a sitting position on the floor.

"Future king," she mumbled to herself. It suddenly seemed like everything that she had thought she'd figured out had been wrong. In fact, she was now sure of only one thing. She was in deep trouble.


	7. A New Agreement

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

****

Chapter Seven

_A New Agreement_

* * *

Van slipped down the hall, struggling to be as silent as possible. Everything in him wanted to dash down the hall as quickly as his legs would carry him. He was practically buzzing with excitement about the coming night.

Having been frustrated beyond words about having to leave before he'd gotten his answers, Van had worked out a plan. After escaping from his tutor and his walk through the courtyard, he'd caught a quick nap. Rushing through dinner at a pace that was amazing even for him, he had hurried back to his room.

A smile crossed his face as he remembered the stunned look on Marta's face at his willingness to be tucked in. As the maid that looked after him in the evenings, she had suffered through more than one pleading for "just a few more minutes" or "just one more story" before he had to go to bed. Though she must have been surprised at his sudden about-face, she hadn't said anything.

Determined not to make the same mistakes as last time, he'd been careful not to fall asleep when Marta had slipped from the room. Calling up all the questions he'd wanted to ask the cat girl, he organized them in his mind. After that, he'd chosen the most important ones to ask first. When he had five in mind, he'd listened carefully for any noise from the hall. All was quiet, so he slipped from his bed, shivering slightly at the feel of cold stone on the bottom of his feet.

Making his way to the door, Van carefully popped just his head around the jam. A quick glance showed the stretch of hallway to be completely empty. Darting into the hall, he kept his back to wall as a small amount of protection against being seen should some unexpected person make an appearance. It was in that fashion that he made he made his way quickly down the hall and through the dining room. It was only when he stood facing the door to the kitchen that he finally paused.

As he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his excitement, he tried to visualize how this encounter might go. He hoped that the cat girl would be a little more forthcoming with information this time, but he wasn't going to bet on it. She hadn't seemed too eager for company, although he was still wondering if it was any company in general she was against, or if it was just him she wanted to keep away from. That thought had bothered him enough that it was one of his five big questions, right after her name and the reason for her presence in the kitchen.

Unable to wait any longer, Van bit the bullet and headed into the short hall leading to the kitchen. Of all the scenarios that had flitted through his mind, nowhere had been one where he was met three steps into the room by the cat girl herself. Startled into motionlessness, Van could only watch as she drew herself to her full height. All his rehearsed questions flew from his mind as she gave him a thorough looking over. When she was apparently satisfied with what she saw, she began to speak.

"If you plan on spending the rest of the night down here, there are a few things we need to get straight. Number one, I have things to do, and I can't have you keeping me from doing them. If you can't stay out of my way, then you should leave. If you _can_ manage to keep from getting in my way, then you can stick around.

"Number two, if you want to ask questions, go ahead. Just no stupid ones. And if I don't want to answer them, I don't have to. Other than that, do whatever you want. Okay?"

He opened his mouth as she looked at him expectantly, but at first, nothing would come out. He settled for a nod, and she returned the gesture before headed back towards the corner where he'd first seen her. Following after her at a slower pace, Van thought over what she had just said. A huge grin crossed his face as he realized that he was getting exactly what he wanted. Feeling a little more light-hearted than he had before, he quickened his step to catch up with her.

This was definitely going to be an interesting night, to say the least.

After an immense amount of fretting that had had her nearly pulling out her hair, Merle had finally managed to come to several conclusions. First of all, because of his status, she couldn't risk simply ordering him to get lost. Not only did he not have to listen to her, but if he wanted to, he could be the cause of a lot of grief for her. If she really made him angry, he could probably have her removed completely. So that left her in the unappealing but unavoidable position of having to put up with him for as long as he found it entertaining to be around her.

That thought had given way to a conclusion that made her feel much better. It was most likely the mystery of not knowing anything about her that made Van so interested. If she answered all the questions he had, there'd be no more mystery and, hopefully, no more interest. Then he could go back to doing whatever it was that future kings did, and leave her to her life.

With that settled, she had taken up a position near the door to await his arrival. Not long after she heard most of the castle's inhabitants turn in, there came the quiet but distinct sound of bare feet padding their way down the hall. He paused for a moment outside the door, but not for long. As he barreled into the room, she watched his look of determination melt into one of surprise and slight hint of confusion. Opting not to wait for him to catch his mental balance, she leapt right into the speech that she'd prepared.

Van had seemed to take it well, which wasn't so surprising since he was getting everything that he had wanted in the first place. But it left Merle feeling slightly less out of control, and allowed her to relax a little. She was even enjoying the company a little, not that she would ever admit it. It was almost . . .nice to have someone close to her age around.

She was ready to take that thought back only minutes after it had come into being when he finally got over whatever had kept him silent. The questions began, with barely a pause for breath between them. Merle satisfied her vengeful side by being as taciturn as she felt she could get away with, but her one and two word answers hardly seemed to faze the dark haired boy.

"What's you're name?"

"Merle."

"Don't you have a last name?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't know."

"Where's your family?"

"Gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"Dead."

"Oh. Where are you from?"

Shrug.

"You don't know?"

"Don't remember."

"How long have you been at the castle?"

"Couple weeks."

"Do you sleep here?" This was accompanied by a wave toward her pallet.

Nod.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

That stumped him, but not for long. "You said you have things to do tonight. Do you work here or something?"

"Yes."

"So, what do you do?"

"Hunt."

Van looked confused. "Huh?"

Merle was unable to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She could just imagine the pictures that were running through his mind. Little old her out in the forest, tracking down game and dragging it back to the castle. The mental image was so humorous she couldn't resist a small giggle as it flitted through her mind. At the unexpected sound, Van tilted his head to the side. Snapping back into her aggravating mode, she answered his unspoken question.

"Mice," she said, enunciating the word carefully, as if implying he was slightly slow.

His eyes narrowing at the hit, Van crossed his arms over his chest. "You're awfully small. I bet I could catch mice better than you could."

Merle almost growled at that. Who did he think he was, saying something like that? Future king or not, there was no way that he could beat her at what she was best at. Her pride caused her to bristle in righteous indignation. "Do you wanna bet?" she snapped before she could think better of it.

"Yeah," he shot back. He glared back at her, a look that could only be called a cross between sulky and determined covering his face.

Not willing to back down now that the challenge had been accepted, Merle quickly thought about what to do. If Van had known her better, he would have recognized the need to be wary of the look that now entered her eyes. But since he didn't, he only watched with curiosity as she moved back into the main part of the kitchen.

"The rules are simple; first one to catch a mouse wins. Easy enough?" she questioned, a too innocent expression on her face. He nodded. "Good. You go first. I'll count." Taking herself off to a corner, Merle made a great show of settling into a comfortable position. "One, two, three, four, five, six . . ."

Van remained still, a vaguely distressed air surrounding him. It was all Merle could do not to interrupt her count with an evil chuckle. Just as she had thought, the boy didn't have a clue where to start. His clueless-ness almost made her want to help him. _Almost._ First, she'd make sure he knew that it took talent to do what she did, and then she'd offer some tips.

Maybe.

"Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-fo- . . ."

"I can't do this if you keep counting so loud. You're scaring them all away!" And twenty-four seconds for the temper to show, she thought to herself. Obligingly, she continued her count under her breath and went back to enjoying the show.

Van turned in a half circle, looking over all the corners of the room. Merle could tell that he was in over his head; she could also tell that he wasn't about to admit it. His chin was thrust out at a stubborn angle and his eyes were narrowed again, this time in concentration instead of annoyance. Finally deciding on a course of action, he dropped onto his knees and slowly edged close the pantry. Merle grudgingly awarded him a point for choice of location, since the pantry was a good place to start. But it would take more than a good starting point for him to catch his prey. A lot more.

More time passed with neither of them moving an inch. Merle's count topped a hundred, then two hundred, and still she waited. She had almost drifted off when a soft sound had her straightening. Her gaze shot to Van, and she almost gasped at what she saw. Not a foot in front of the kneeling boy, a fat mouse padded out of the pantry, not a care in the world. Unconsciously leaning forward, Merle waited to see what the young prince would do next.

Moving with an amount of caution that she wouldn't have thought him capable of, Van slowly stretched one hand out, inching it closer to the unsuspecting mouse. A swift swipe of his hand, and he lifted his fist with a crow of victory. Merle was astonished to see a tail poking between his fingers as he clambered to his feet.

"Yeah! I got it!" he whooped, turning to face her with a triumphant smirk on his lips. Swallowing her disbelief, she slowly got her feet. Dusting off the back of her dress gave her another few seconds to gather her thoughts.

"Um, that was good. Only took till two hundred eighty-six." Regaining her condescending tone, Merle sniffed. "Of course, it's nothing special compared to what I can do. And that was a fat mouse, which made it slower than most, so it's really not surprising that even _you_ could catch it."

Van's eyes narrowed at the insults to his skills, and he started to answer back. Whatever he had been about to say was lost, however, as a yelp came out instead. He swung his hand upward, his fist opening in the process. The mouse dropped to the floor, darting forward to hide under a cabinet. Merle just stared at Van, trying to figure out what was the matter with him. As she looked closer, the problem became clear. A small drop of blood rolled down his wrist to drip onto the floor.

Merle chuckled, then snorted as she tried to hide it. "You really gotta . . ._snicker_ . . .watch out for those . . ._giggle_ . . .teeth." Biting her lip was no longer helping to stifle the laughter, and the positively thunderous look on Van's face was the last straw. Giving up on her efforts to contain herself, Merle began laughing for all she was worth. Van remained motionless, just standing there, his arm still held in front of him.

Long moments later, when she finally managed to calm herself down, Merle wiped the tears from her cheeks and stepped toward the still brooding boy. "Let me see it."

Jerking his hand away, Van went back to glaring at her. "Why? So you can laugh some more?"

"No, I'm done laughing. My side hurts too much to start again." A moment passed, then he cautiously held out his hand. Without touching it, Merle looked over the wound. It wasn't bad, and the bleeding had already slowed almost to the point of stopping. "It's not so bad," she told him, nodding sagely.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered as he jerked his arm back to his side, but she noticed his face had cleared a bit.

"You're more of a baby than I thought you were if you think that that little bite is something to get worked up over. I've had worse."

"I never said I was worried about it," he snapped.

"Well, it was all over your face. 'Oh, no! I got a little cut! Someone help me!'" she mocked.

Ignoring that, Van went to lean against the wall. "It's your turn."

Deciding to let him off the hook for the moment, Merle just smirked. "Start counting." She didn't even bother to listen to the sounds in the room this time. No, this time her target was already in her sights. The second Van had dropped his catch, she had zeroed in on its new hiding place. Now it was just a matter of sneaking up on it.

Slipping around one of the counters, Merle dropped down to the floor. Creeping closer and closer to her prey, her eyes almost crossed with her level of concentration. A quick forward step and a swipe of her hand, and the mouse was captured firmly in her palm.

Resisting the urge to crow her victory, Merle rose to her feet and turned to face a waiting Van. "How long was that?" she asked smugly, raising her fist to reveal her prize. The older boy struggled to hide the look of amazement on his face with little success.

"Um, thirty-seven," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. She didn't have to be a genius to interpret the sour expression he now wore.

"Don't feel bad. I mean, it's understandable that you're a little clumsy. After all, you are only human."

"You're half human, too!"

"But I'm more cat, which is a hundred million times better." Huffing, she stuck her nose in the air. A movement in her hand brought her mind back to what she still held. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since early the previous evening. With a quick move made simple through long practice, Merle shifted her grip to the mouse's tail and lifted it into the air. As it hung over her open mouth, she happened to catch a glimpse of Van's face. He was looking slightly green around the edges, and one hand was pressed tightly to his stomach. When he looked up to meet her gaze, she raised a questioning brow.

Swallowing hard, he asked in a voice that was more squeak than anything else, "You're gonna eat it?"


	8. A New Bond

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

Recap: _With a quick move made simple through long practice, Merle shifted her grip to the mouse's tail and lifted it into the air. As it hung over her open mouth, she happened to catch a glimpse of Van's face. He was looking slightly green around the edges, and one hand was pressed tightly to his stomach. When he looked up to meet her gaze, she raised a questioning brow._

****

Chapter Eight

_A New Bond_

* * *

"You're gonna _eat_ it?"

Merle gave him a confused look, as if she couldn't figure out why he sounded so surprised. She dropped the hand still clutching the mouse back to her side, and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Yes," she answered slowly. "Why?"

"You . . .eat . . .mice?" Van could tell his voice was higher than usual, but he couldn't help it. His stomach was still protesting the mental image the cat girl's last move had caused. The squirming body dangling just above her open mouth . . .

"I thought we just covered that. Of course I do. What else are you supposed to do with them?"

Her voice seemed to grow fainter as he bent over a little, gulping in deep draughts of air. Swallowing hard, he renewed his efforts at forgetting what he almost saw.

"What's the matter with you?"

The fact that he was admitting a weakness to her grated on his nerves. "What do you think is wrong with me?" he snapped. "You _eat mice!_" Just speaking that thought out loud affected him, and Van felt his face pucker up again.

"You're not gonna throw up, are you? 'Cause I'm not cleaning it up if you do." Merle told him, backing away a few steps. He glared at her weakly.

"Give me a minute. And put that down!"

Merle looked down at the object of his ire, the mouse that was still wiggling from her hand. "But I just caught it! And I'm hungry!"

Van groaned. It wasn't that he didn't know that cats ate mice; it was, after all, a common fact. But knowing it happened and seeing it happen were two completely different things. "Just drop it, please. I'll find us something else to eat." Looking up through the spikes of hair that still covered his face, Van saw a thoughtful expression cross Merle's face. He guessed what she would say next before she opened her mouth.

"Like what?"

"Like anything you want!"

He waited, his eyes trained diligently on the floor while she deliberated. He couldn't hold back his sigh of relief when she finally spoke.

"Okay, but it had better be something good." There was a faint plopping sound, followed by a squeak as the mouse made its getaway. Van counted to ten before he considered it safe to look up. Merle was watching him closely, her brow furrowed as though she were deep in thought.

"You're strange," she announced, sounding as if she had just come to an interesting conclusion.

He straightened, wondering idly if he should be offended by the way she said it. "What do you mean?"

"You chase after things you don't know what are in the middle of the night, talk to people you don't know, and yet you're grossed out by the prospect of one little mouse getting eaten." She shrugged, and then repeated her diagnosis. "You're strange."

"What about you? You live in a kitchen and eat mice. And you can't call me on the other one, 'cause you talked to me, too."

"There's where you're wrong. I knew who you were before I ever said a word to you, _Van, prince of Fanelia_." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin in the classic "so there" gesture.

Van would have shot another comeback her way, but he was thinking over what she had just revealed. She had known who he was, and yet she still yelled at him, made him agree to her rules, and made fun of him. It was a totally new experience for him.

Every other time he had finally found someone to treat him like a normal person, it had only lasted till they found out who he really was. After that, all the "Van"'s became "Lord Van"'s. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that just having someone learn that he was royalty was enough to make them treat him differently, even when he was the same person he'd been before they knew. He could only imagine what would happen if they knew his other secret.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he took another look at Merle. She was something of a sight, he had to admit. Her pink hair hung to the middle of her back, and was a tangled mess. The dress she wore was short, made of a plain, coarse fabric whose color was somewhere between white and a very washed out gray. All in all, she was the last person he would have expected to actually _want_ to spend time with.

But he did.

Catching the look she was giving him that could only be described as hungry, Van could tell she was waiting for him to ante up on the dinner he'd promised her. He would make sure he took the blame for it in the morning. It would mean some form of punishment, but anything was better than watching the last few seconds of that mouse's existence. Besides, sneaking into the kitchen for a snack was something he had done many times before, and the price had never been too severe. A couple of mumbled apologies, some downcast-eyes-paired-with-shuffling-feet action, and he'd be off to his usual activities in no time.

It was because of his previous trips that he knew where the best things were kept, and in no time at all, he and Merle were enjoying a midnight feast of cookies, dried meat, and some only slightly stale bread left over from dinner. He watched with some amusement as the cat girl attacked the food.

"I guess you don't get this stuff often," he asked, already reasonably sure of her answer. She confirmed his guess with a shake of her head, not wanting to pause in her eating even long enough to reply. He chuckled. It was fun to eat with someone who wasn't all concerned about manners and stuff like that, and was willing to get breadcrumbs all over the place. He was used to getting reproachful looks at dinnertime since he was the only one at the head table still clumsy enough to spill things. Somehow, he didn't think that would ever be a problem when he was around Merle.

Swallowing the last bite of her cookie, said cat girl swiped the back of her hand across her mouth, and then leaned back against the wall behind her. "That was good," she mumbled, stifling a yawn. Van nodded his agreement, taking the spot next to her.

"We should do this again some time." He kept a close watch out of the corner of his eye, trying to gage her reaction to that announcement.

"Umph," was her indecipherable reply. Her eyes were dropping to half-mast as her head nodded closer and closer to her chest.

Deciding it was time for him to leave, Van began clearing up the remains of their impromptu meal. As he was looking for something to clean up the crumbs, his eyes fell on the row of hooks holding the kitchen staff's aprons. He paused in his search, his mind going back to the times he'd wandered into the kitchen out of hunger or boredom. There was always one of the women that would slip him something before sending him on his way. She had seemed really nice . . .

The first stages of an idea began to solidify in his mind.

* * *

Merle woke some time later to find herself curled up on her bed, her blanket spread over her shoulders. As she sat up and yawned, she tried to remember what had happened. She'd been talking to Van, feeling full and a bit sleepy after their midnight feast . . .

She jumped to her feet with a gasp. If anyone found that mess they'd left, especially Nellie, she'd really be in for it. She had planned to clean it up when Van left, but she must have fallen asleep before then. Creeping to the edge of her sleeping niche, Merle cautiously popped her head around the corner, hoping that it was early enough for her to remove any hints of their picnic before the cooks and their assistants arrived.

Her hopes sank when the sound of low pitched conversation and clattering dishes met her ears. The women were obviously already hard at work. But if they'd found the mess, why hadn't one of them woken her up? She doubted that they would let something like that slide, especially since it was against the second most important of the rules they had given her.

Silently cursing herself for worrying all the previous day instead of sleeping, Merle padded back to her bed with heavy steps. She wasn't in the mood to face the cooks right then. If there was going to be trouble, she was sure they'd bring it to her when they were good and ready. Curling up in the corner closest to the wall and furthest from the other people, she settled in to wait.

The day passed agonizingly slowly, or so it seemed to her. Her stomach was working on twisting itself into as many knots as it could, and her whole body had developed a dull ache from muscles held tense for too long. Once, sometime around noon, she had thought she heard a voice that she recognized as Daphne's from around the corner, but a quick glance had revealed that the blonde girl was nowhere in sight.

She was surprised at the feeling of sadness that hit her at that. Though she'd only spoken to her once, she had felt much better knowing that someone who didn't hate her was close by. Knowing that the other girl wasn't there made her feel almost . . .abandoned. Shaking off the odd and unwanted feeling, she returned to her spot.

Wallowing as she was in her thoughts of getting in trouble, she almost jumped out her skin when a shadow fell over her. Pressing herself more tightly in the corner, her fur was standing on end before she recognized her visitor.

"Daphne," she hissed, trying to slow her frantic heartbeat. The older girl smiled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing over here? You're going to get us both in trouble!"

Tilting her head to the side, Daphne laughed softly. "You really have been out of it today, haven't you?" When Merle said nothing, only looked at her in confusion, she motioned to the windows. For the first time, Merle noticed the general dimness of the room. Seeing the brilliant colors flaming outside, she knew the sun was well on its way to setting. Putting her ears to good use, she took in the silence, realizing that the other women must have already left.

She turned back to her guest, fighting to clear her still somewhat fuzzy mind. "So why are you still here?"

"Oh, doing a little favor for an old friend."

Merle frowned. "Huh?"

Daphne smiled. "You'll see. Now come on!" Grasping Merle's wrists, she pulled her to her feet. "We've got a lot to do, and I have to be home before it gets too dark out."

Distracted by being pulled across the room, Merle blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. "I thought you weren't here today?"

Not missing a step, Daphne threw her a look over her shoulder. "Why'd you think that?"

"I looked, and you weren't there."

The older girl seemed to think for a moment, her forehead wrinkling in the process. "Was it around lunchtime?" she finally asked, seeming to have reached whatever distant thought she had been searching for. Merle nodded. "Oh, I left for awhile, then came back. I had some things that I had to do. And one of them was arranging this!" With a grand wave of her arm, she motioned to the place she had been leading her captive.

They were standing in one of the many little alcoves that were built into the kitchen's walls. This one was in one of the darker corners, probably meant to store foodstuffs, though obviously it wasn't used for anything on a regular basis. On this day, however, someone had converted it to another purpose. A wooden tub sat smack in the middle of the small space, tendrils of steam drifting lazily off its surface. A wooden chair was slightly to the side of that, its seat holding a folded square of cloth and a bar of soap.

Merle, never very fond of water, began to slide her feet backwards in preparation for a quick escape, guessing correctly that the tub was for her. Daphne must have sensed the movement, small though it was, and moved to stop her.

"Aw, come on. It's one little bath. I know cat people aren't very fond of water, but won't it feel so nice to be all clean again?"

"I'm clean!" Merle retorted indignantly. Daphne paused, a stricken look appearing on her expressive face as she realized the unintentional insult she had just delivered.

"I didn't mean . . . I wasn't thinking . . . Arg!" Frustrated, she yanked at her braid. "Look, I don't mean to offend you or anything, but you've got to trust me on this one. The bath is just part one of a bigger process, and we can't skip it. I promise, you'll be happier in the end, so give it a try. For me?"

Merle snickered at being on the receiving end of a full-blown puppy-dog-eyes-and-pouting-lip attack, and then reluctantly gave in. Daphne was the first person to do something nice for her here, and if all she was asking in return was for her to take a bath, she could live with it. But what had she meant about the first step of a bigger process?

Swallowing hard, he asked in a voice that was more squeak than anything else, "You're gonna eat it?"


	9. A New Danger

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

Recap: _Merle snickered at being on the receiving end of a full-blown puppy-dog-eyes-and-pouting-lip attack, and then reluctantly gave in. Daphne was the first person to do something nice for her here, and if all she was asking in return was for her to take a bath, she could live with it. But what had she meant about the first step of a bigger process?_

****

Chapter Nine

_A New Danger_

* * *

To hunt, or not to hunt.

That was the question. If she did start a pursuit, Merle was sure she could catch something to eat in no time. But on the other hand, did she really want to fill up on mice when there was the chance for some more of the things she had had the night before? Just remembering them made her mouth water.

Okay, on one hand, it was her job to hunt mice. But nowhere in anything anyone had told her said she _had_ to eat them. This whole visiting thing Van was doing might not continue, so she should enjoy it, and its advantages, as much as she could while they lasted.

That decision made, Merle forced herself to remain still, finding that the usually simple task was now close to impossible. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to thank Van when she saw him, or just throttle him. Her opinion was split right down the middle, and both sides had some good reasons behind them.

Sighing a little, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She really hated waiting. It was one of the worst things that a person could be subjected to, in her opinion. It either stood between you and something you wanted, or you and something you didn't. In the first case, it was far too long, and in the second, it never seemed long enough.

She found herself wishing that Daphne could have stuck around a bit longer. Even after everything the older girl had put her through that afternoon, it still would have been a relief to have someone to talk to, to help keep her mind off being nervous. But Daphne had had to be home before dark, and Merle didn't want to risk getting her into trouble. She had already done more for her than anyone else ever had.

With one exception, of course.

That thought brought Merle back to the present. By her best guess, everyone in the castle had turned in quite some time ago. Had Van fallen asleep? Grinding her teeth, she stomped one foot. After doing what he had done, the stupid boy was going to sleep right through seeing the results. Of all the nerve. If she dared, she would go right back to his room and let him know what she thought about his high-handed, over-bearing, meddling . . .

"Hey, Merle."

"Ah!" Jumping a distance that was good for her back but bad for her dignity, Merle whipped around to see a grinning Van leaning against the doorway. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts of retribution that she hadn't even heard his approach. Silently scolding herself, she struggled to at least _seem_ calm. Not for the world would she let him know that her heart was beating a mile a minute.

A silent moment stretched out between them as Van looked her over from head to toe. If he hadn't known better, he would swear she was a different person entirely. Well, except for the same old scowl that was rapidly spreading across her face.

The knotty pink hair that had previously swung halfway down her back was gone. In its place was a shining cap that stopped sharply at her chin. And that was just the first of the changes he noted. She had obviously undergone a thorough bath; a small smirk pulled at one corner of his mouth as he thought of how that must have gone over. In addition to that, her old dress had been replaced by another, newer one.

As he continued cataloging the changes, she huffed a sigh, angrily crossing her arms over her chest. One toe set to tapping against the floor as he finally looked back at her face.

"You look like an entirely different person," he told her. "Who would have thought a bath, haircut, and some new clothes would make this much difference?"

"Van Fanel, who do you think you are? Did I ask for your help? Did I ask you to do anything for me? No!" she fairly shouted, not giving him a chance to answer her questions. Van swallowed, wondering if she could really be that angry over having to have a bath. Sure, he hated them with a passion, and he figured it would be even worse for a cat girl. But it wasn't worth fighting someone over.

Was it?

He took a small step backward, hoping it would go unnoticed by the still spluttering Merle. Those hopes were dashed when she took an even bigger stride forward. "And did you even bother thinking about what would have happened if Daphne had gotten caught in here with me? We both would have been in a whole lot of trouble, you know!" She was now poking him in the chest with a finger with each sentence. "You just went ahead and did something just because you wanted to, not because anybody else wanted you to.

"I've only got one thing left to say to you." Van felt a wave of sadness wash over him at the finality in her voice, only to have it completely vanish with her next words. Tilting her head to the side, she kept her eyes locked on the floor, uncertainty plain to see in her posture. She hunched her shoulders a bit, and then spoke softly.

"Thank you."

* * *

Merle giggled as Van collapsed in a heap on the floor. One leg was bent awkwardly under the weight of his body while the other jutted out to the side. Using both arms, he maneuvered himself back into a sitting position, wincing in the process. Rubbing at a bruise already forming on his elbow, he groaned.

"I told you that you wouldn't be able to do it," Merle announced, still breathless from her earlier laughter. "I don't think that your body was meant to bend that way. You should stop trying before you really hurt yourself."

"I can do it. I almost had it that time," Van said, feeling slight miffed that she thought otherwise.

"Sure you can."

"I can!" Eager to prove his claim, he again copied the moves he had seen Merle use earlier that night. Squatting with both hands flat on the floor, he twisted one leg to the side, and then managed to lift it several inches off the ground. However, it came nowhere close to the target of the back of his neck before his balance shifted and he found himself face down on the floor. Again.

"Humans just weren't meant to scratch their necks with their feet, I guess," came a voice from his left. Cracking open one eye, he saw a grinning Merle standing over him. Silently admitting defeat, he let his eye close.

The past few weeks had passed with nights like this. Van would trek down to the kitchens as soon as he felt it was safe to do so. Merle would be waiting, and they'd talk, fight, and challenge each other in those ways that only close friends could do. Whether it was building traps or just goofing off, they always had a good time when they were together. It was because of this that they both left their former loneliness behind, feeling more at peace than either had in a long while.

Merle had explained to Van all about meeting Balgus in the woods, and the confusing conversation with the tutor that had followed. Picking it apart, they had both come to the same conclusion. Having her work in the kitchen was not what the older man had had in mind when he brought her to the castle.

This fact became even more certain when Van admitted to telling Balgus about his longing for a real friend. He felt sure that, going by what he had said to Master Josias, Balgus had intended for Merle to become that friend. What he didn't understand was his tutor's actions against the swordsman's wishes. There was something behind that disobedience, and Van intended to find out what it was.

He had never liked the man, and this latest development clinched it. Why did he think he had the right to mess with people's lives? Merle, for all her big words and tough attitude, was still younger than him. He knew he still had a lot to learn before he could stand on his own, so what did that mean for her, when she didn't even have someone waiting to teach her? He had Balgus and a tutor (albeit an unpleasant one) to help him learn the things he needed to know. She had no one.

Till now. He had long since decided to be there for her from now on. All that remained before his plan, which had started with enlisting Daphne's help, was completed was having a talk with his mother. This had been the hardest part, since she had taken to vanishing for weeks on end with no word to anyone on where she had gone or when she'd return.

She had finally come back from her latest trip that very afternoon. When he'd met her in the garden, she had asked for time to rest, but promised she'd speak with him after breakfast the next morning. He was pretty sure that she wouldn't have a problem granting his request, which meant it would be no time at all before Merle was out of the kitchens and into a room of her own.

The one time he had brought his idea up with her, he had been quite nervous. For a little girl, she had a lot of pride. Van wasn't sure whether she would accept his offer or refuse it right off the bat. To his surprise, she had taken it seriously.

"I don't want pity," was the only thing she would say at first.

"It wouldn't be pity. You'd still be doing stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like having to sit through lessons and helping to keep me out of trouble. That's a big one." He was encouraged by the small laugh he heard from her when he said that. They both knew that he'd be getting in more trouble, not less, if she were around.

"Maybe you're right. I would be earning my keep." Van had been a little wary of the sly note that had entered her voice. A side-glance at her face had revealed a look that could only be called wicked. "After all, anyone who has to put up with you as much as I will deserves a room of their own, at the very least!"

"Hey!"

* * *

Merle slowly made her way to her bed, a smile still on her face as she remembered Van's continued attempts at mimicking her. Even when he knew it was next to impossible, he refused to stop trying. All night, he just kept trying one angle after another, hoping that one would work where the others had failed. He had to be one of the most stubborn people she had ever run across. It was one of the things she liked most about him.

Reaching out, she pulled back her blanket and prepared for bed. Before she could lie down, however, a hand was slapped roughly over her mouth as an equally forceful arm locked around her waist. She couldn't even scream as she was dragged from the room.

* * *

A/N: One bruised Van. One captured Merle. One chapter to go.


	10. A New Family Part One

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

Recap: _Reaching out, she pulled back her blanket and prepared for bed. Before she could lie down, however, a hand was slapped roughly over her mouth as an equally forceful arm locked around her waist. She couldn't even scream as she was dragged from the room._

****

Chapter Ten

_A New Family  
(Part One)_

* * *

Merle growled deep in her throat, struggling against the loops of rope that were wrapped tightly around her wrists. Her next jerk at the unyielding bonds sent her elbow slamming into the wooden bottom of the cart she was in. A whimper escaped her as a film of tears filled her eyes. Blinking them back harshly, she took a couple of deep breaths through her nose, the only way she could breathe with the thick gag that filled her mouth.

Trying to remain calm was getting to be harder by the minute. Things had gone steadily from bad to worse since she had felt those hands seize her from behind. With the one over her mouth forming a tight seal, there had been no way for her to yell for help. By the time that her terror had worn off enough for her to try and fight back, it was already too late. Both arms had been pinned tightly to her sides, rendering them useless.

Her next thought had been to kick her abductor, but that, too, turned out to be hopeless. As if her reaction had been expected, she was being dragged backward, her upper body held tightly against the chest of her captor. Her lower body was being pulled at an awkward angle, giving her no leverage to strike back. She was completely at his mercy.

Her one form of attack had come when they had left the kitchen behind and crossed some distance through the courtyard. Though the early morning light was extremely dim, her excellent eyes had allowed Merle to make out a small cart waiting off to one side, the horse that pulled it stamping impatiently at the ground.

When the man, and she was sure it was a man from the extended bit of close contact, shifted her to place her in the cart, his grip on her mouth had loosened for a fraction of a second. Using it to her full advantage, she twisted her head to one side, and then sank her teeth as deeply into his palm as she could manage. When he jerked the wounded appendage away with a muffled cry, she'd filled her lungs in preparation for a wall-crumbling, window-shattering, dead-waking scream.

A fist connecting harshly with the side of her head knocked that breath right out of her. It also sent her sprawling into the bottom of cart with ringing ears and a throbbing pain in one temple.

After that, things were a little blurry. The dusty tasting gag was shoved into her mouth. Something thick and dark was pulled over her head, completely blocking out her vision. The dark, stiffening feeling that the covering gave made everything seem twice as frightening. By the time she felt the small jolt that signaled the cart's movements, it was all she could do to keep from falling into an all out panic attack.

Since then, she felt as though they had covered a lot of ground, but knew that she could be completely off on that guess. It was so hard to be sure of anything when your whole world was darkness and muffled sound.

It was another jolt, this one rougher than the first, that roused her from her almost sleeping state. Instantly coming fully awake, Merle tensed as footsteps came clearly to her ears. They rounded the side of the cart, stopping at the back. Even with her eyes covered, she could tell that he was looking at her. She shuddered as she imagined his gaze like thick ooze, sliding its way across her skin.

There was the sound of something scraping against wood as he leaned onto the bed of the cart. Merle couldn't hold back a small squeak as two far from gentle hands gripped her ankles. She was dragged roughly across the hard surface, gaining her some more scratches and wood burns.

She felt an instant of vertigo at the loss of the support, but it vanished as her feet hit ground. Weaving slightly, she fought to regain her balance. The last thing she wanted was to be at even more of a disadvantage, sprawled across the ground.

There was no warning. One moment, she was trying to shift herself to keep from falling, and the next, the hood was whisked from her head. Blinking against the harsh sunlight, it took a moment for what she was seeing to sink in. After that, all she could do was stare at the now revealed identity of her kidnapper.

* * *

Van smiled as he slid down the banister, not even caring if anyone saw him breaking the rules. Nothing could bring him down right now.

As promised, he had met with his mother immediately after breakfast. A long talk had followed as he explained to her how he had met Merle, and all the visits that had followed. When he told her what Merle had revealed to him about her lack of family, and Balgus' intervention, he could see that she agreed with his early deduction that Merle was supposed to have been a companion for him.

After that, it took no more convincing. Varie had seen nothing wrong with allowing the cat girl to take her intended place. Before he had left the room, Van heard his mother issuing orders about readying a bedchamber and summoning the seamstress for a fitting after lunch.

Allowing himself a couple of jumps as he neared the kitchen, Van felt like he was going to burst. This was going to be the best news he had ever given someone. He wondered what Merle's reaction would be. Would she laugh? Cry? Would she even believe him at first? He wasn't sure, but he was reasonably certain that she'd be as thrilled as he was.

Sliding around the last corner, he bounded into the crowded kitchen, ignoring the startled cries from the workers as he headed straight for Merle's sleeping corner. The sight of the empty sleeping pallet stopped him in his tracks. For a moment, he just stared, then his brow furrowed. Merle was always in bed at this time of day. It was one of the busier times in the kitchen, and she preferred to keep as far away from the other woman as possible.

So why wasn't she there?

His eyes darted all over the small corner, but there was no sign of the cat girl. No tousled pink hair peeked from beneath the blanket hanging half off the bed. No tail curled from behind one of the barrels or boxes that formed a barrier between that corner and the rest of the room.

An unsettling feeling began to build in the bottom of his stomach. Something was wrong with all this, he just knew it. Turning from the alcove, his eyes skated over the figures behind him. Some continued working, some watched him out of the corners of their eyes. Only one seemed to be watching him openly, not caring who saw. When he caught her eye, Daphne left her counter station and came towards him. She started to speak before she even made it to his side.

"So you don't know where she is either." It was much more of a statement than a question, and they both knew it.

Van shook his head, knowing that the downcast expression on the older girl's face was mirrored on his own. "Wasn't she here when you got here?"

It was Daphne's turn to shake her head. "I even came early, to see what you'd thought about her new look, but there was no sign of her. Just the empty bed."

"You don't . . .think she left, do you?" He hated thinking that his friend would do that, but he also knew he needed to look at all the possibilities. Merle had never hidden the fact that working like she did wasn't the way she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Though he had spoken of his plans to have her position changed, she might have thought that it wasn't going to happen. Had she given up and decided to take her chances on her own?

"I don't think she would have done that," Daphne's voice was calm, but tinged with worry. "She was so happy last night. She said she'd never had friends to look out for her before. Even if she were going to leave, she would have told us. There's no way she would leave without saying anything."

Van nodded his agreement as his shoulders slumped. He didn't like the path that his thoughts were taking. If she hadn't left on her own, why wasn't she here? Was she all right? Or had someone done something to her?

"We should look for her." His strident statement was enough to make everyone in the room turn towards him with varying expressions on their faces. As his eyes skated over those faces in slight embarrassment, he saw one that seemed out of place. Of all the women, some looked confused, others questioning, but one wasn't even trying to hide an expression of spiteful satisfaction.

The woman, Nellie, was someone he recognized dimly as one of the cooks. Though she had never spoken directly to him, he had heard quite a bit about her from Merle, none of it flattering. The look on her face made anger rise inside him. What kind of person was she to take pleasure in someone else's misfortune?

His anger changed to worry when he realized that someone like her, or even worse, could have Merle at that very moment. Biting his lip, he turned back to Daphne, ignoring the rest of the room. "Can you look around down here? Check all the storage rooms and cellars, anyplace that you can think of. I'll talk to my mother, then look around the rest of the floors."

Daphne nodded, obviously not worried about getting in trouble for obeying the prince's orders. In an instant, she had turned on her heel and vanished into the first of several storerooms that lined the walls of the kitchen. Following her lead, Van made his way back into the hall through the door he had entered. A small corner of his mind recognized the quirk of fate that had him passing through the same doorway twice in so few minutes, and in two completely different moods. His happiness from earlier had been completely replaced with worry and a bit of fear.

Picking up speed as he neared the stairs, only one thing was clear in his mind. Merle was in some kind of trouble, and he had to find her. He wasn't sure how he knew that the whole situation was more than a misunderstanding or a prank, but he did. For all that he wished she would turn up somewhere, sleeping and oblivious to the commotion she was causing, he knew it wouldn't happen. She wasn't just napping somewhere; she hadn't taken a walk and lost track of time.

Something was really wrong.


	11. A New Family Part Two

****

Of Cat and Boy

_By Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. At least, I hope you knew that. But I do own this story, and all the twists and turns it takes.

****

Chapter Ten

_A New Family  
__(Part Two)_

* * *

Josias.

Of all the people that had flitted through her mind as possibilities for being her abductor, his name was first on the list. But she never would have thought that the conceited, bigoted, narrow-minded jerk would actually have the gall to do something like this. He flaunted his position as if it raised him above everyone else, so why would he do something that practically guaranteed his dismissal?

Still caught up in her confused thoughts, she shrieked in surprise as his hand connected with her shoulder, pushing her roughly to the ground. He glared down at her, his face twisted with disgust. As she stared at him, she noticed him wiping his hand on the side of his pants, as thought touching her had somehow dirtied it. The other hand held traces of blood from the bite she'd managed earlier.

"Don't look so surprised. Did you really think that I would allow such a vile creature such as you to share space with me for longer than was absolutely necessary? Even then, I might have been able to allow you your miserable existence if you had just remained in your place.

"But, no. You dared to leave the kitchens, where you belonged, and roam about as if you had the right. And more than that, you had the nerve to actually _speak_ to the prince!" His eyes narrowed and he smirked at the stunned look on her face. "Did you really think that I wouldn't know? You actually believed that something like you could keep a secret from your betters?

"I've known for quite awhile now. There were more than enough clues for someone as intelligent as me to piece it together. All the times he fell asleep during his lessons, it was easy to see he was doing something other than sleeping at night. It was a simple thing to follow him. And what do I find but you, who only had a place because I allowed it, playing games and speaking with him as if you were his equal!"

The anger that had been building all during the trip finally had an outlet in the self-important man standing over her. Her fur bristled as she tensed to lay into him. "You 'allowed' me to stay? You? Since when do tutors decide who and what stays or goes? I think the only place you're as powerful as you think you are is in your own mind. All you are is some delusional, power hungry _nobody_ who just made the biggest mistake of his life! When Van finds out what you've done, you'll be out on your butt so fast that your head will spin!"

During her speech, his face got darker and darker until, by the time she reached her final sentence, he was almost purple. But instead of the angry reply she was expecting, he answered with laughter. An unsettling feeling unfolded in her stomach at the nearly hysterical sound.

"You expect 'Van' to be upset about this?" He spat Van's name like a curse, obviously upset by her informal way of addressing him. "You are nothing. Your existence is of no meaning to me or to him. In fact, whose idea do you think it was to get rid of you?"

Even though she didn't really believe him, Merle couldn't help stiffening a little at his words. Van was her friend. He would never allow someone to do something as mean as this if he could help it. And besides, he had told her how much he disliked his tutor. Why would he make plans with someone he hated?

Josias smirked at her, and then began walking back to the little cart. Before she could regain her feet, he had swung himself up onto the seat. Giving her a final look of loathing, he slapped the reins, sending the horse into a quick brisk run.

It was raining. The drops were large and cold as they dripped their way down her neck. Merle shivered, and then increased her speed as she struggled forward. Already the ground had turned from thick packed dirt into an inch deep sheet of foot grabbing, slippery mud. Slogging through the goop, plus the chill that had set in were tiring her out. Add in the stress of the morning and afternoon, and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open and locked on her destination. About a hundred yards ahead of where she stood was a small stand of trees. She was hoping that they would offer some shelter from the elements.

As she finally settled beneath the branches, she heaved a sigh of relief. It was slightly drier there, though a few random drips struck the ground around her feet. Wrapping her arms around her up drawn knees, she tried to hold on to what little warmth she had left.

'This day just keeps getting worse and worse,' she thought. 'First, I'm pulled right out of bed and dumped out in the middle of nowhere. Then, when I tried to follow Josias back, I tripped and lost sight of him. When I decide to keep walking until I find someone to ask for directions, Fanelia gets the heaviest rain it's had in months. What's next? The ground opens up and swallows me? A dragon comes and eats me?'

Knowing that being sarcastic with herself wouldn't help, Merle tried to think positive thoughts to keep her mind off her situation. The only problem with this plan was that for every positive point she found, some sadistic inner voice immediately countered with the negative.

Though they had left early, Josias couldn't have taken her very far. When he pulled off the blindfold, it wasn't long after sunrise.

__

But if this place is as isolated as it feels, distance doesn't matter.

Van had said he was having a talk with his mother after breakfast. Surely he would want to tell her how it went.

__

Unless it didn't go well and he'd rather not talk about it.

Van comes to the kitchen every night after bedtime, so even if he doesn't know I'm gone now, he will in a few hours.

__

Even if he wants to start searching, nothing can be done until morning.

One night isn't so very long to wait.

__

One night alone in a strange place is a very long time to wait.

I'll wait until he gets here.

__

Unless Josias was telling the truth, and he isn't coming.

She hated herself for even thinking the last one, but as the hours had passed by, her cynical side was changing her mind. After all, everyone else she had ever trusted in her young life had left her. Why should Van be any different? Just because he was the closest friend she'd ever had didn't mean he had to feel the same way back. Resting her forehead on her knees, she sniffed. Then sniffed again.

'I really wish he would come.'

"Merle. Merle, wake up!"

The voice was loud, and getting louder by the minute. Frowning in her sleep, Merle struggled to ignore it. If she could just fall back to sleep, all her problems would disappear again. There would be no cold, wet ground, no unfamiliar landscape. She would be warm, fed, and most of all, not alone.

"Merle!"

Okay, that one got her attention. It sounded like someone was bellowing right in her ear. A growl started in her throat as she forced her eyes open to lay into the intruder. As her bleary vision focused, she saw a grinning face half covered with an easily recognizable mop of jet-black hair.

As she jerked upright, her elbow came into contact with something warm and soft. The muttered "oof!" was enough to tell her that the muddy boy crouching next to her was real, and not just a dream. Feeling happier than she could ever remember feeling, Merle did the first thing that came to mind. Launching herself at an unsuspecting Van, she wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. When he froze in surprise, she dragged her tongue up the length of his cheek, earning an "Eeew! Whadya do that for?"

With smile so big that it showed every one of her teeth, she pulled back enough to see Van's face. "I knew you'd come! He said you wouldn't, but I knew."

For the first time, the happy expression on his face faltered. "Josias, you mean?" She nodded. "Yeah, well, he's kind of an idiot, you know. Of course I'd come. I know it took awhile, but we've looking all day. He wouldn't tell us exactly where you were, so we had a lot of ground to cover."

At the mention of "we", Merle looked behind him, for the first time seeing the small group of what she assumed were guards milling around. She also noticed that the rain had stopped. The clouds had cleared enough to allow a few sections of the night sky to be seen.

Turning back to Van, she asked the first of the many questions filling her mind. "How did you know it was Josias?"

Leaning back, he rubbed a hand through his hair, sending it into even more disarray. "That was actually more of Daphne's doing than mine. She was asking around to see if anyone had seen you. A couple of people mentioned that they'd noticed him heading out pretty early, which is not something he's ever done before. And since just about everyone knows how he felt about you, I decided to ask him a few questions. That's when I saw his hand."

"I bit him."

Van grinned. "I know. When he couldn't think of an excuse about the wound quickly enough, it was pretty clear he was the one who took you. Needless to say, he won't being hanging around in Fanelia for long, so you don't have to worry about him anymore. But even after he got caught, he wouldn't tell us anything other than he thought he was doing what was right, so it was hard to know where to start. We just took the direction people saw him leaving in, and kept going till we got here."

"I'm glad you didn't give up." Her voice was soft, but by the affectionate smile that crossed his face, she knew he had heard her words.

"Let's go home, Merle."

* * *

Varie was staring out the window of her bedchamber when the small procession came through the castle gates. Leaning slightly forward, she watched as her son swung down from his horse. A moment went by while he talked to the small group of guards she'd insisted he take with him. They started off towards the stables, and Van turned back to his horse. Reaching up, he helped a small figure to the ground.

When she saw the flash of pink hair, Varie knew Van had found what he was looking for. As the two neared the castle, she managed to catch a few words of their conversation. Van was telling his friend about the morning's discussion they'd had.

"So after I explained everything, Mother said you could stay with me. She had a room readied and everything. No more sleeping in the kitchen for you."

"Really?"

"Really. But there's one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to call me 'The Super Magnificent, Best That Ever Lived Lord Van'." Varie laughed softly at the exaggerated swagger he adopted as he droned his "title".

The little cat girl snorted. "I'll tell you what. I'll call you Lord Van, just so long as you know that when I say it, I mean "Loud, Obnoxious, Really Dumb" Van."

"Is that any way to talk to your rescuer?"

"It's the best you're gonna get." There was a pause. "Hey, Lord Van?"

"Yeah?"

"First one to the top of the stairs wins!"

There was an orange and pink blur followed by a shout from Van as they both disappeared inside. Hearing her son's laughter echoing from the hall, Varie smiled.


End file.
